Allen L. Rutz

Practice Areas

Industries

Education

• Capital University Law School, J.D., 1998, summa cum laude
  Capital University Law Review, 1996-1997
• The Ohio State University, M.S., 1989
• University of Cincinnati, B.S., 1984, magna cum laude

Bar & Court Admissions

• Ohio
• District of Columbia (inactive)
• U.S. Supreme Court
• U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
• U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio
• U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio
• U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
• Admitted to practice law only in the states listed above.

Allen is a partner in the Columbus office practicing in construction law, architect/engineer professional liability, products liability, and he leads the firm’s drone and autonomous vehicle working group.

Allen is a professional engineer and former research project manager and draws upon that training and experience in managing legal disputes and counseling companies in matters involving scientific or technical substance. He also counsels companies and individuals facing investigations and ethics charges by State licensing boards such as the Ohio Engineers and Surveyors Board.

Allen has broad experience in construction claims and dispute resolution, including AAA arbitrations; American Institute of Architects (AIA), Engineers Joint Contract Documents Committee (EJCDC), and Design Build Institute of America (DBIA) contract documents; and fire cause and origin (C&O) claims, including managing the work of experts.

He has specialized knowledge in the areas of industrial and mechanical equipment; mechanical engineering; and gas appliances and venting.

Career highlights include:

• Arguing before the Ohio Supreme Court and numerous lower appellate courts.
• Operating as national coordinating counsel of construction claims for firm clients, including manufacturers and a major retail chain
• Obtaining dismissal of all ethics charges against an engineering company and one of its principals after an administrative hearing
• Defending and prosecuting construction disputes involving infrastructure projects (roads, bridges, railroads, water, waste water, oil and gas pipelines, fiber optics) and commercial buildings (schools, hospitals, hotels and industrial facilities)
• Defending products liability actions involving fires and explosions in electrical and mechanical equipment, furnaces and silos
• Inventing U.S. Patent Nos. 5,941,230 (principal) and 6,112,741

Allen is a frequent lecturer on engineering and autonomous vehicle ethics, construction law, and architect/engineer liability, and was an Adjunct Professor at Capital University Law School where he team-taught products liability with Professor Stanton G. Darling II.

Allen received his J.D. summa cum laude from Capital University Law School where he was a member of the Order of the Curia, the Order of the Barrister, the National Moot Court team, and the Capital University Law Review.  He received his M.S. from The Ohio State University, publishing his thesis on applying artificial intelligence methods to energy conservation. He received his B.S. magna cum laude from the University of Cincinnati where he was Tau Beta Pi and Pi Tau Sigma.

Allen externed for the Honorable Alan E. Norris, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.

Prior to joining Vorys, Allen managed engineering research projects for the natural gas distribution and end use industries, including program design, relationship management, supervision of staff and subcontractors, and interactions with government and regulatory bodies including Consumer Product Safety Commission. He has authored numerous technical publications related to energy conservation, gas appliance venting, and test procedures, and has contributed to the ASHRAE HVAC Systems and Equipment Handbook and NFPA 54 National Fuel Gas Code Handbook.

Professional and Community Activities

• Ohio State Bar Association, Construction Law Committee, Chair, 2014-2016
• American Bar Association, Forum on the Construction Industry, Construction Litigation Committee
• Columbus Bar Association, Construction Law Committee, Common Pleas Court Committee
• Builder’s Exchange of Central Ohio, Law and Finance Group
• Capital University Law School Board of Counselors
• Heritage Rail Trail Coalition, Chair

Honors & Awards

• The Best Lawyers in America, Construction Law, 2013-2019
• Columbus CEO, Top Lawyers in Columbus, 2010-2018
• American College of Trial Lawyers Medal for Excellence in Advocacy, 1997
• Martindale-Hubbell AV Peer Review Rated

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